Container closure



Sept. 26, 1961 R. c. E. cAPRoNl CONTAINER cLosuRE Filed June 9, 1959 F fg. 2

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Raymond C. E'. Caproni IN VEN TOR. BY m da.

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United States Patent O 3,001,666 CONTAINER CLOSURE Raymond C. E. Caproni, 7102 Vivian Ave., Dallas, Tex. Filed June 9, 1959, Ser. No. 819,157 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-48) This invention relates to container closures and more particularly to a sealed closure for metal cans.

Historically, the origins Vof the present common can for food are traceable to the use of sealed cans by the Hollanders for packing sh in 1800, tov Nicholas Appart of France in 1809 who promotedV the preserving of food in sealed containers, the 1818 U.S. patent of Peter Dnrand on a solder-sealed can previously patented in England, the double-seamed Ams canv of the 1890s which developed into the so-called sanitary can of the early th century and which is essentially the type of common food can now in use.

Throughout the years it has been apparent that the opening of an ordinary can of foodand the removal of its contents presents certain inconveniences and the Apossibility of contamination of the food, and that a necessity has existed for the further protection of the wholesomeness of the food from cans.

This is illustrated when an ordinary can of food is opened in the usual manner. There may be foreign mater on the top of the can or on the opener to pollute the contents when the can is opened. After the cover is removed it cannot be re-used to protect any food left in can for future use, nor is the can suitable as a covered container for further purposes. The covers on key-opening cans are frequently reusable, but they are more inconvenient to open and their cost is unfavorable for or* dinary use.

The principal objective of this invention is to provide a closure for a sealed container which may be opened conveniently, the contents removed without contamination, and the closure re-used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure for a sealed container as aforesaid wherein the closure may be produced at a low unit cost by practical production techniques.

Briey, the invention is embodied in a sealed closure for a container wherein the container and/or closure slrirt has one or more circumferential inwardly extending -grooves spaced downwardly from the upper end of the container. A double-seam at the lower part of the skirt of the closure and located below the groove, connects the side wall of the closure to the container, prefer-ably the lower edge portion of a partial double wall which terminates at the double-seam.

As the result of a structure such as this the side wall or skirt of the closure may be cut circumferentially at the groove, the groove furnishing space within which to receive a can opener cutting blade as the severing operation takes place. While the container is being opened, the contents are not exposed to contamination by foreign matter on the exterior surface of the closure and the cutting blade of the opener. This is so because the closure is cut on the side of the container, outside the body wall and below the top edge of the container, and the cutting blade always remains outside of the body wall. While the container is being emptied, the contents are not eX- posed to contamination by foreign matter on the exterior surface of the closure and the cutting blade of the opener because the inside or pouring rim of the container is protected from contact with the sources of contamination. It is evident that the can opener does not by any means, ever enter the interior of the container.

The detached closure is re-usable because its retained side wall can be reapplied over the outside rim of the container. 'Ihe detached cover or structure which forms Ffice a closure on the common type can has no side wall and cannot be replaced over the rim, although some tear strip cans can, but present other serious drawbacks, not the least of which is the prohibitive cost for comparatively low priced items.

These together wit-h other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and oper-ation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a `fragmentary side elevational view of a can constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken approximately on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 and showing in dotted lines a small part of a can opener cutting the closure from the container.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded sectional view of the container and closure in FIGURE l showing the closure after it has been cut from the container in full lines and showing the closure in dotted lines prior to its severance from the container.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing principally the manner of connecting the closure to the container.

In the accompanying drawing sealed container is illustrated, this container being made of metal and preferably but not necessarily of cylindrical shape. l't has a side wall 12 with a double wall 14 at the upper end portion thereof. The double wall ts flush against the outside surface of wall 12 and may extend any practical length down on wall 12. Wall 12 and the additional wall 14 forming the double wall have bead le extending circumferentially to form an outwardly opening circumferential groove 18. The groove 18 not only forms a passageway for the blade of a can opener 19, but also increases the strength and rigidity of the container construction by having the portions of walls 12 and 14 nested with each other (FIGURE 4). Apart from walls 12 and 14, groove 13 and the means for lattaching closure 22 in place on the container, the container is convention al and may be manufactured in numerous ways.

Closure 22 can be varied in size and shape, the most practical shape being cylindrical with top wall 24 forming a cover, and cylindrical side wall or skirt 25 depending therefrom. The lower end of side wail or skirt 26 is joined to the lower portion of wall 14 by a double-seam 28. The double-seam, is constructed in the ordinary way, for instance the lower extremity of wall 26 may project laterally outwardly, and the lower portion of the wail 14 may also project laterally outwardly with a curled edge. In this condition sealing compound (not shown) which is used in conventional can sealing functions may be placed between adjacent surfaces of the anges, after which the curled edge flange of wall 14 and the flange of wall 26 are worked to `form the double-seam 2S. This completes the juncture between the closure 22 and container side wall. Thereafter when it is desired to use the contents of the can, the wall 26 is circum'ferentiaily severed, for instance by can opener 19 Ihaving cutter 26, and the closure portion is removed (FIGURE 3) by simply lifting it from the container body. The short remaining portion of wall 26 on the container functions as a stop when the closure 22 is replaced.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles `of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes 4will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Y What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. The combination of a lcontainer having a side wall provided at its upper edge with a downturned continuation superposed on the upper end portion of said side wall and exteriorly of therlatter to provide a side wall portion of double thickness, said side wall portion being provided with an outwardly opening circumferential groove in a plane spaced downwardly from the' upper edge of the side wall and upwardly from the lower edge of said downturned continuation, and a closure having a top wallrextending `across the upper end of said container and a circumferential skirt depending from said top wall in surrounding relation with said side Wall portion of double thickness, the lower edge of said skirtrbeing connected to the lower edge of said downturned continuation and a circumferential portion of the skirt above its lower edge spanning said circumferential groove, whereby said circumferential portion of the skirt may be severed by a rolling cutter entering said groove without penetrating said side Wall portion of double thickness.

2. The combination as deined in claim `l together with a circumferentially extending double `seam connecting the lower edge of said skirt to the loweredge of said downturned continuation.

3. T he combination as defined in claim l wherein said circumferential portion of said skirt when severed by a rolling cutter separates the skirt into a lower portion connected to said downturnedpcontinuation of the container side wall and an upper portion depending from said top wall of the closure, s apid closure including the depending upper portion ofthe 'skirt being bodily removable from the container and replaceable thereon vvwith said lower skirt portion providing abutment stop means for replacement of the closure. 1

4. The combination -as defined in claim l together with an out-turned circumferentially extending double seam connecting the lower edge of said skirt to the lower edge of said downturned continuation, said seam being spaced downwardly fromthe circumferentially extending groove and affording guide means for a rolling cutter severing the portion of the skirt spanning said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'l-EPTS 65,477 Drummond June 4, 1867 2,006,045 Hopkins June 25, 1935 2,289,782 Hodgson July l5, 1942 2,901,161 Henchen r Augjrzs, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,901 switzerland Feb. 1, 1935 

